Friday, December 23, 2011

Year 2 CERA. Christmas Quake Swarm, 23.12.11. Christchurch Library

Christhmas Quake Swarm focus. Sunny Friday afternoon 23.12.11, Xmas Quake Swarm day, Leah woke up saying, "I've been expecting another quake for days. Just dreamt of a quake." She was right. We wanted to complete Xmas shopping before last day madness. We drove to Northlands, avoided Northlands Mall, as it spooked me after quakes & continued to nearby Verkerks to buy Xmas meat: salamis, steaks, ham, mutton.

I wanted to show Leah the "new" central library, Peterborough St, recently opened post quakes. I'd visited it the day after opening & Leah wanted to borrow books & DVDs for the festive season. We anticipated visiting the library, before shopping at Pak 'n Save, Moorhouse Ave.

Peterborough St: Soon after our library arrival, at 1.58pm the M5.8 quake hit. Leah was near the front door looking for DVDs. She later told me she dived under a table. I was at the newspaper section, furthest point from the exit sliding door.


23.12.11. Public Library, newspaper section, Peterborough St, during a quake swarm

People's reaction in quakes: Those I could see all froze. The man next to me sat reading a paper. An Asian man stood up & stared at me while I stared at him. An elderly couple at a nearby table sat frozen in their seats.


23.12.11. The Press of the day, Public Library, Peterborough St, during a quake swarm

Adrenaline surging I thought, "Bugger Civil Defence's 'Drop, Cover, Hold' quake safety procedure." Not on when the library was shaking to hell & I was far from the door. While the library still jolted, I sashayed to the front door, while looking for Leah & thinking, "What if power cuts & we're trapped inside?"

Others were frozen by the sliding door entrance & digital BORROW tables. I snapped a ceiling panel & pink batt that had just fallen by a table. My camera flash galvanized others, like snapping my fingers before hypnotised eyes. No one panicked. We were all shocked & stood around, or sat, dazed.


23.12.11. Man escaping Public Library, Peterborough St, after the M5.8 quake, during a quake swarm

Smiley librarians helped people at the BORROW machines. Leah looked for DVDs. A manager strode from his office, looking worried, saw everyone calm, so wandered around.


23.12.11. Fallen ceiling panel & pink batt, straight after the M5.8 quake, Public Library, Peterborough St

A big man still stood frozen with a bemused smile. It took a while for his 1 000 yard stare to dissolve. Others stayed seated on couches & at computer tables. Only one bloke skedaddled out the front door.


23.12.11. Quake shocked public & staff, by just fallen ceiling panel, M5.8 quake, Public Library, Peterborough St

Leah & I were in the "new" central library for about 8 minutes & 4 quakes. A lifetime. Later I saw only 2 of the quakes recorded by GeoNet, the other 2, stuck in our souls forever.


23.12.11. Quake shocked public & staff, soon after M5.8 & M5.3 quake swarm, incl 2 more quakes, all within 8 minutes, Public Library, Peterborough St

An aftershock hit & I grabbed a metal RETURNS shelving, shaking wildly. If I'd dropped for shelter the shelving would've fallen on me. A file flew off nearby. No one else left the library, safer inside.


23.12.11. Fallen file from shelf, Public Library, Peterborough St, after M5.8 quake & M5.3 quake swarm, incl 2 more quakes, all within 8 minutes.

2.06pm. Another quake hit, M5.3 (GeoNet) while I stood by the fiction section & snapped library computer tables, frozen people still seated at computers, some people seated on couches, reading. An old man seated nearby asked me for a pic copy. I said: "I've already deleted it, as it came out too dark."

While Leah operated the BORROW machine for her DVD's, another quake hit. She dived under the machine. I grabbed it for support while the library shook a 4th time in 8 minutes. Borrowed time.

Leah & an old lady looked for books in the fiction section. I had to break the spell, as Leah stood under roof air conditioning pipes. I dreaded the thought of pipes collapsing on her. "Time to go!" I said. "This place is too bloody dangerous!" We left while others stayed in the library, opposite the Feb 22 Killer Quake trashed Convention Centre.

Post quake boffins liked telling people what to do & what not to do in quakes. BUT! When was it safe to leave a building during a quake swarm? When does a quake swarm end wise guys? Damned if you do, damned if you don't! When was a quake an aftershock? When was an aftershock a quake? Risible, academic niceties when attacked by quakes.

After I'd gathered my shaken wits & checked my orifices weren't dribbling, I wasn't going to stay in the quaking library to see if it held up, or collapsed in a 5th quake. Whatever we did was luck in dire quakes. No right or wrong way in self preservation.


23.12.11. Liquefaction water, soon after M5.8 & M5.3 quakes, Packe St


23.12.11. Asking directions to Speights Ale House, soon after M5.8 & M5.3 quakes, during a quake swarm, Packe St


23.12.11. Liquefaction mud oozing from a pavement, by a drain, soon after M5.8 & M5.3 quakes, during a quake swarm, Packe St

Shopping was out, so I drove to Packe St & parked near Jake's flat in Geraldine St. Brown liquefaction water flowed along Packe St curb & brown quakemire oozed from a pavement hole, like diarrhoea.


23.12.11. Bealey Ave traffic, passing Speights Ale House, during the first hour of the quake swarm, soon after M5.8 & M5.3 quakes


Jake's cell phone was down, so we walked to Speights Ale House, Bealey Ave, where Jake worked. Boozers boozed on two verandahs. Bugger quakes! Two old geezers boozed at a table inside. Staff worked the bar & in the kitchen, where Leah asked for Jake. No Jake, not on shift. Quake clean up done, a bin full of broken, maroon crockery by the bar.


23.12.11. Bealey Ave, Speights Ale House patrons, reasonably safe on a verandah, during a quake swarm, soon after the M5.8 & M5.3 quakes



23.12.11. People safely out of Bealey Ave flats, during the first hour of the quake swarm, soon after the M5.8 & M5.3 quakes


We trekked along Bealey Ave to Jake's flat. People stood outside businesses & abodes, safer during quakes. We spoke to a smiley, SA couple, recent immigrants, we'd never met till then. Strange meeting. A smiley, Indian immigrant couple, from India, stood by too.


23.12.11. Geraldine St info sign, Xmas quake swarm afternoon

Geraldine St: A young couple sat on the grass verge, their baby in a pram, waiting out quakes. A blonde, walking her dog, wandered past waving her cell phone & muttering, "I need a new battery."


23.12.11. Young family on pavement, safely outside their Geraldine St home, during the first hour of the quake swarm, soon after the M5.8 & M5.3 quakes

Jake & girlfriend were OK. 2.14pm. While at their flat, another quake hit, M4.2. (GeoNet). The flat shook. Strong jasmine scent in bright sunlight. I picked two jasmine flowers off a garden vine & gave one each to Leah & Jake's girlfriend. Jasmine & Fri 23.12.11 Xmas Quake Swarm would not be forgotten.

Over the next half hour, there were 2 more quakes: M4.8 & M4.4. The M4 quakes didn't bother us much, we'd experienced many over the last 15 months. It was the M5-6+ quakes which were dangerous & threatened our lives. We'd all become good at guesstimating quake magnitudes when quakes hit: M4 quakes, no sweat, no evasions needed. M5-6+ quakes, get the hell out! A gentle rumbling underfoot & trembling of pot plant leaves, hung keys or computer monitor, meant no problem M4s. Loud rumbling, violent shaking or jolting underfoot meant M5-6s.


23.12.11. Geraldine St flat, 2.14pm, M4.2 quake, during the quake swarm


Leah & I walked along Bealey Ave to London St to check on Leah's school. Brown liquefaction mud was on Barbadoes St cnr. Perth St: Quake spalled concrete curb lay by a drain's iron grille.


23.12.11. Liquefaction mud oozing across pavement, Bealey Ave / Barbadoes St, during the first hour of the Xmas quake swarm


23.12.11. Post quake, abandoned, Bealey Ave flats, nr Fitzgerald Ave crossing


23.12.11. Spalled concrete curb stone, by iron drain grille, Perth St, soon after the M5.8 & M5.3 quakes, during the Xmas quake swarm

London St: School OK. Back entrance to Richmond Working Mens Club was closed. New CLOSED sign on gate.


23.12.11. CLOSED back entrance, Richmond Working Mens Club, London St, quake swarm afternoon

Village Green, between Pavitt St & Stanmore Rd: A family played cricket. Bugger quakes! If we moved around outside, we often didn't feel moderate quakes, M3-4s. We felt them sometimes when we were still.


23.12.11. Family cricket, Village Green, between Pavitt St & Stanmore Rd, during the first hour post M5.8 & M5.3 quakes during the Xmas quake swarm

We trekked back to our car, Bealey Ave traffic lights kaput. Cars drove carefully. As it was hot, at an Asian dairy we bought ice creams. Dark inside the dairy, power cut. Two Asian ladies chuckled behind the counter. "Survived another quake." Dairy owner sorted change on the electric till top, till didn't work.


23.12.11. Liquefaction mud & water, Packe St, within an hour post M5.8 & M5.3 quakes, during the Xmas quake swarm

3.18pm. Driving back to Burnside, Purchas St / Barbadoes St: M6 quake hit, bounced our car. I drove fast from the lumpy, serial quake sunk crossing, as those roads were badly liquefactioned in 04.09.10 Darfield Quake & 22.02.11 Killer Quake. Two cars were stalled on Barbadoes St, so we waited behind them, watching power lines dancing above.

The M6.0 quake was the 4th biggest quake we'd experienced, including the 04.09.10, M7.1 Darfield Quake, which began the quake series we'd endured the last 15 months. The M5.8 quake we survived in Peterborough St library was the 7th biggest quake during the quake series, so far. (The Press 28.12.11).

Madras St: Brown liquefaction water puddles, same as Feb 22 Killer Quake, but less volume, as the ground wasn't saturated. We'd had sunny days before the Dec 23 Quake Swarm, so less groundwater aggravated liquefaction. (Heard later TV news that E suburbs, were badly liquefactioned again. Avon River was returning riverside suburbs to swamps).

Leah meanwhile had texted Luke & a teacher friend, checking they were OK. Luke was safe at Heath St, our rental was shaken for the umteenth time in the last 15 months. Luke's girlfriend's home at New Brighton had a quake power cut. (Heard later TV news, 30 000 houses had power cuts, soon sorted). Leah's teacher friend was at Merivale Mall parking lot when the M6 quake hit. Another car crashed into her's in the parking lot.

Madras St: Tall young man wearing white socks, no shoes, was running in circles, like a chicken with its head cut off, by a fallen, grey Vespa. He was crying. We thought he'd fallen off the Vespa in the M6 quake. We'd already endured 6 big quakes in the last hour & a half.

We stopped. "Are you OK?" I asked. He focused & started looking normal again.

"Yes. It's my flatmate's Vespa." Neighbours left another flat & comforted him. We all reacted in different ways to quakes. No shame there, he was terrified, alone & had lost his mind a bit. I could've snapped a "news" pic, but I despised "news" pics, where ghouls with cameras took pics of traumatised people, crying.

Back home Luke was pleased to see us. He was working in the garage when the first quake hit & left fast. We had power, sewage connection, running water, food. Leah boiled water & I filled the bath with cold water, just in case. We watched TV news. Leah listened for news on the radio too. I Facebooked family & friends, telling them we were OK, while Leah texted & phoned family & friends too.

4.50pm. While Facebooking, another quake hit, M5, shook our house & computer.

5.08pm. A M4 quake hit, while I sat in our lounge watching TV. Didn't bother to rise, as I was 5 steps away from our open front door. I knew that distance intimately, as I'd moved it during the M6.3, Feb 22 Killer Quake. Our back door was further away, where I'd stood during the June 13, M6.3 quake.

Later that evening I shopped for essentials at our local supermarket, Wairakei Rd. Shop was already cleaned up after the quakes. Wine section: floor tiles were red wine stained, with a lovely bouquet of spilled wine. Next day, rush day, 24.12.11, we would do our last Christmas Shopping at Pak 'n Save, Moorhouse Ave. We'd avoid the malls.

Bugger! Another quake while I signed off, early morn, Sat 24.12.11. Rumbled our house & computer: M5.1 from Diamond Harbour way. GeoNet had recorded 25+ more quakes during that quake swarm night, around Belfast, Diamond Harbour, Akaroa & mainly Lyttelton & Christchurch, in the M3-5.1 range.

Seismologists later opined that the 23.12.11 Xmas Quake Swarm had come from their recently surveyed & discovered N-S faults in Pegasus Bay. So quakes from 4 Sept 2010 Darfield Quake had moved W-E faults direction, to Boxing Day Quake & Feb 22 Killer Quake, then N-S fault direction in the June 13 Quake, to a N-S faults direction in the Pegasus Bay, 23.12.11 Xmas Quake Swarm. But why were crustal quakes bothering us? (Oct 2021. A cell phone app would be developed enabling users to get a few seconds' cell phone warning before quakes. e.g. Wellington Oct quakes where the app worked successfully. But not everyone had a cell phone with the app!)

In the public library that Fri afternoon, during 8 violent minutes, we'd experienced 4 distinct quakes. I was in 4 places in the library when the 4 violent quakes struck: newspaper section, borrow machines, returns shelving, fiction section, yet GeoNet with seismographs only stated 2 quakes for that period. A boffin decided for posterity a squiggly graph line with a cone of mini spikes was 1 quake, instead of 2 or more! Graphic details to seismologists were academic, yet experienced by people on the ground, quakes were massive violence. Terror.

24.12.11. The Press front page headline: M5.8 - M5.3 - M6.0 - M5.0 for the 23.12.11 Xmas Quake Swarm. For the record, we were in the library for the M5.8 - M5.3 quakes, including 2 more violent quakes. Also there were M4.2 - M4.8 - M4.4 quakes between the M5.3 - M6.0 quakes, when we were at Jake's flat & trekking Bealey Ave to London St (The Press & GeoNet).

Never mind the M6.0 quake which bounced us around in our car on Barbadoes St, after leaving Jake's flat. All that terror happened within 1 hour 20 minutes: 1.58pm - 3.18pm, Fri 23.12.11. The 25 odd aftershocks post M6.0 quake, mostly during the night, M3-5.1s, were relatively mild.

After 15 months of quakes, we were used to quake violence & terror. But that didn't negate our alertness for danger & self preservation. Leah went into herself & stayed vigilant. Her flight reactions were instantaneous, dive for cover, or escape. Both Luke & I became super alert & observant, avoiding danger, yet detached, absorbing every detail, while time / action slowed during quakes.

Boxing Day, 26.12.11. Leah & I returned to her London St  school. Bealey Ave, near the school we saw a ghost house, yellow-lidded, black plastic rubbish bin blocking the front step, 4 letterboxes stuffed full of letters & junk mail. At the 2 storey school, the M6.0 quake had loosened gutters above front & back doors. We saw longitudinal cracks on an E wall & above an E window by school playground equipment. We didn't enter the school bldg, but looked through windows: a toppled computer monitor in one office. In 3 more offices, heavy filing cabinet drawers were opened by the M6.0 quake. We couldn't see into most offices & classrooms due to closed blinds. Top floor not seen. There were minor liquefaction dribbles in the garden & on concrete paths, as in high summer there was little groundwater. No mud digging required, as in previous quakes.

2015-16. Leah's quake damaged school, London St, would be quake repaired. We'd lived in Fairlie then, as Leah would work at Lake Tekapo School for 3 years. While the London St school was repaired, staff & kids would relocate to nearby Richmond School, Pavitt St, which would be closed by MOE during a post quakes restructure of Christchurch schools.


26.12.11. Library items on floor, M6 quake, 23.12.11, Public Library, Peterborough St


26.12.11. Public Library, Peterborough St: Just as well we'd left when we did on 23.12.11, as the closed library was a mess. I took hazy, flash snaps through front windows: Many more books had been flung from shelves onto the carpeted floor, after we'd left. Video shelving was the worst, videos strewn between shelves. The video table which Leah had dived under during the M5.8 quake had fallen in the M6.0 quake, DVDs scattered on the carpet.


26.12.11. Library books on floor, M6 quake, 23.12.11, Public Library, Peterborough St



26.12.11. Fallen DVD table, M6 quake, 23.12.11, Public Library, Peterborough St



*Trekked Peterborough St, Packe St, Bealey Ave, Geraldine St, Perth St, London St, Stanmore Rd. 37 snaps.

Coda.

Tues 21.05.13. The Press would report: "GNS science has since re-analysed the aftershocks on December 23, 2011 and has upgraded the 3.18pm quake from M6.0 to M6.2. It remained the fourth largest since the September 2010 quake." GNS would take 17 months to reckon the magnitude of that quake! The M5 quakes we'd experienced in Peterborough St library were the prelude. Pegasus Bay Fault was the cause. Not a word about Christchurch Fault under Peterborough St library! Was Pegasus Bay Fault not linked to Christchurch Fault?

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

See Aftershocks 'nothing' alarming (The Press / Stuff Co).

1 comment: